Self-supporting insulating element

ABSTRACT

A self-supporting insulating element for roofs and walls with an insulating core of hard foam material, especially polyurethane hard foam material, and with two cover layers one of which is formed by a reinforced metal sheet or reinforced web of synthetic material.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,715,846 Sullhofer Feb. 13, 1973 [541SELF-SUPPORTING INSULATING 3,192,099 6/1965 Beckman ..52/6l8 ELEMENT3,381,432 5/ 1 968 Brandwein ..52 309 I 3,535,844 10/1970 Glaros..52/309 1 lnvemorl Heinz Sullhofer, Nlederrhemstrasse 3,336,179 8/1967Campbell ..52 336 158, 4000 Dusseldorf, Germany FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1970 A 1' 2 36 [21] Appl' No: 70,206258 1926 ustra 1a 5 /3 Primary ExaminerFrank L. Abbott AssistantExaminer-Henry E. Raduazo Att0meyWalter Becker [5 7] ABSTRACT Aself-supporting insulating element for roofs and walls with aninsulating core of hard foam material, especially polyurethane hard foammaterial, and with two cover layers one of which is formed by areinforced metal sheet or reinforced web of synthetic material.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEU FEB 13 I975 INVENTOR. fif 72 Err/ye,BY

SELF-SUPPORTING INSULATING ELEMENT The present invention relates to aself-supporting insulating element for roofs and walls with aninsulating core of hard foam, especially polyurethane hard foam, and twocover layers.

The heretofore known self-supporting insulating elements for roofing, inaddition to an insulating core provided on both sides with a coverlayer, are provided with a reinforcement which is designed as a profiledmetal sheet. Depending on the design and the arrangement of thisreinforcement, either a continuous uniform insulating effect isimpossible or the element cannot be uniformly foamed. On its bottom sideit is corrugated and forms a non-uniform surface which is not suitableas face.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide aself-supporting insulating element for roofs and walls with aninsulating core of hard foam, especially polyurethane hard foam, and twocover layers which do not require an independent reinforcement, whichcan be foamed on the known double-belt conveyors in a single workingoperation and in a continuous manner, and which for roofing can beproduced in the form of plates having a length extending from the ridgeto the eaves of the roof.

It is another object of this invention to provide a selfsupportinginsulating element as set forth above which will overcome the drawbacksand shortcomings of heretofore known insulating elements of the typeinvolved.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section through an insulating elementaccording to the invention and also shows an adjacent broken off elementwith webs designed as drawn-in plates with folds.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through an insulating element according to theinvention and an adjacent broken off element with webs formed by widenedfolds.

The insulating element according to the present invention ischaracterized primarily in that at least one of the cover layers isdesigned as reinforced metal sheet or as reinforced web of syntheticmaterial. In this way, on

one hand, a separate metal sheet or web of synthetic material asindependent reinforcement is superfluous and, on the other hand, thereis provided a stable selfsupporting insulating element which forms aplate adapted to be walked on. In view of the reinforced metal sheet orthe reinforced web of synthetic material, the insulating element will onone side have a smooth surface which is suitable as face.

According to a practical embodiment of the insulating element accordingto the invention, the reinforced metalplate or metal sheet is at evendistances provided with webs which are arranged perpendicularly with regard to the cover layer and point in the direction of the core of theinsulating element. In view of these webs, the planes of which areperpendicular to the plane of the plate or sheet, a high resistancemoment against bending is obtained whereby theelement can be subjectedto such high loads that it can be walked on. The insulating element maybe made of such a length that it will extend from the ridge to the eaveswhen used for roofing. In this way it is possible to carry out theroofing in a minimum of time by merely placing the insulating elementsalongside each other and fastening the same.

If it is desired to form the webs from a continuous sheet metal plate,they may be designed as drawn-in folds. This can be done by edging orbending and folding while the root portions of all webs are located inone plane and form fine grooves in the cover layer.

According to a modified design of the insulating element according tothe invention, the folds have their zenith portions widened so as toform a hollow chamber of triangular cross-section, one side of thetriangle extending parallel to the cover layers. In this way a highresistance moment against torsion forces is obtained. In other words,the insulating element becomes particularly torsion resistant. Bycorrespondingly dimensioning the height of the webs and the distancebetween the webs, the static loadability of the insulating element canbe varied.

If the insulating element has its edges provided with a stepped fold,the reinforced metal sheet may, at least on one side of the insulatingelement, be pulled into the fold. In this way a better bearing surfaceor seat for the adjacent element and a good seal for the foam materialisobtained.

According to a further modified design of the insulating elementaccording to the invention the cover layer forming the reinforcementcomprises a plurality of plates which are loosely placed against eachother and which at the apex of the folds are folded together. In thisway also smaller plates or webs can be employed for the reinforced coverlayer.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the insulating element 10comprises an insulating core 11 of hard foam, especially polyurethanehard foam, which on both sides has firmly cemented thereto a cover layer12 and 13 respectively. The cover layer 12, which in the drawing formsthe upper cover layer, is prefabricated as a web and consists of aburled diffusion-tight layer of hard polyvinylchloride or anothersuitable synthetic material, or may be applied in liquid form.

The cover layer 13 which in the drawing forms the lower cover layer isformed of a metal sheet or plate which has an outer surface 13a andfolded sections 14 which extend substantially perpendicularly withregard to said surface 13a and extend into the insulating core 11. Thesefolded sections 14 form with the outer surface 13: a continuous plate orsheet and are formed, for instance, by edging or bending the sheet atcertain distances and in certain directions. The folded sections 14 arefolded so sharply that the two folded walls are tightly located againsteach other and at the bottom side of the insulating element 10 merelyform longitudinal grooves 15 which are located at even distances fromeach other on the surface layer 13a and thereby form a good face.

By arranging the folded sections 14 at the lower cover layer 13, theelement can be foamed well from the top, and a continuous uniforminsulating layer is obtained. When the insulating element is walked on,it is possible that the foam material above the apexes 16 of the folds14 might be subjected to an increased specific surface load. In order toreduce the specific surface load under such circumstances, with theembodiment shown in FIG. 2, the folded sections 14 have their apexportion widened so as to form a hollow chamber 17 of triangularcross-section, one side, namely the side 18 of the triangle, beingparallel to the cover layers 12 and 13. In this way, the insulatingelement will have a higher supporting capability and a greaterresistance against torsion forces. Furthermore, the increased specificsurface load at the apexes 16 of the folded sections 14 is considerablyreduced.

Instead of forming the lower cover layer 13 with the folded portions 14of a single integral piece, it can also be composed of a plurality ofplates which, in such an instance, will at the apexes 16 of the foldedportions 14 be folded together as shown e.g. with the right-hand sectionof FIG. 1. This manufacturing possibility may be selected when machinesfor rolling and folding the sheet metal into folded webs are notavailable. At the edge portions, the insulating element is provided witha recess 19 into which is bent the free end 20 (see left-hand side ofFIG. 1, of the cover layer 13. In this way a good bearing surface iscreated for the respective adjacent element 21, and a good seal for theedge of the insulating core 11 is realized.

In view of the lower cover layer 13 beingformed as a reinforced metalplate, it is possible to produce selfsupporting insulating elements ofconsiderable strength which rest only at their ends on the purlins ofthe roof construction and do not need any further support. Theself-supporting insulating elements according to the invention extendfrom the ridge to the eaves of the roof and can in one working step fromabove mechanically be foamed on the well known double conveyorinstallations. The insulating elements are firmly connected to theburled outer layer either by the adhesiveness of the polyurethane hardfoam or by foams which have a similar good adhesive property, and afterhaving been installed are manually provided with a roof cover or may beprovided with a roof skin forming the outer layer which extends beyondthe adjacent or abutting edges of the insulating element and at saidedges merely has to be welded or cemented.

The foam material up to the edges of the insulating element is enclosedin a diffusion-tight manner by the smooth or buried hardpolyvinylchloride foil or by the lower cover layer made of othersynthetic materials in the form of webs and suitable for this purpose ormay be applied in liquid form. The edges are partially by the formedcover layer and partially by a sealing substance likewise closed in adiffusion-tight manner. As such sealing substance there may be employedthe sealing substance disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No.801,087 filed Feb. 20, 1969, and more specifically consisting primarilyof substances such as polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, polyester,paraffin, or the like. In this way the original favorable insulatingeffect of the polyurethane hard foam material is maintained.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular showing in the drawing, but alsocomprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

I. A self-supporting insulating element for building structures,comprising two spaced cover layers forming the two sides of said panel,one of said cover layers being metal and having spaced folded sectionsextending perpendicular to the outer surface of said panel and towardthe opposite cover layer with the two sides of each folded sectionextending inwardly from the surface parallel to and in contact with eachother, said two sides of each section beyond the median plane of saidelement diverging to form a hollow chamber means of triangular crosssection, said other cover layer being of synthetic material and spacedfrom said folded sections, and a core body of hard polyurethane foambetween said cover layers, said core body filling the space between saidfolded sections and said cover layers and providing a continuousinsulation layer adjacent said other cover layer and sustaining saidfolded sections against deformation to strengthen said structurefurther.

